Articles tagged with "Housing"
Californian housing estate gets solar as standard
A new housing estate, with solar power to be included as a standard feature in all homes, has been officially opened in San Bernardino County, California. Opened on Earth Day, ‘Harmony’ is a planned residential development and a collaboration between CenterStone Communities and Petersen-Dean Roofing Systems that will lower residents’ utility costs by up to 50%. (read more...)
New Toronto waterfront development will have a “future proof” energy centre
March 18, 2008 Waterfront Toronto, a 2,000 acre area of largely publicly owned land, is one of the largest urban developments currently underway in North America. As part of the project, a 3500 square meter District Energy Centre is under development which will consist of an interconnected network of underground pipes which that be extended to every area in each of the waterfront precincts. The plant will initially be powered by natural gas but the design will incorporate the necessary features for easy conversion to more sustainable, alternative fuel sources when they are approved for urban use. This "future-proof" system will make the new waterfront neighborhood a more efficient and sustainable user of energy in years to come. (read more...)
Architecture students think outside the box to design low-cost, less-waste housing
A non-profit organization has given architecture students a chance to learn about the practical, hands-on elements of their future profession whilst exposing them to the benefits of building low-cost, sustainable housing using materials sourced from the local area. Since 2000, DesignBuildBluff and graduate students from the University of Utah’s College of Architecture & Planning have designed and built energy-efficient, inexpensive houses using natural building methods and materials made of recycled products and locally salvaged waste or by-products. (read more...)
First BoKlok display home opens at Gateshead
February 1, 2008 In the latest news from the IKEA affordable housing project in the UK, the first BoKlok display home has been unveiled in Gateshead. A two-bedroom apartment has been fitted out, along with a two-bedroom unit converted to an office/marketing complex that features a BoKlok exhibition area. The apartment and the unit are open now for the public to view. (read more...)
Cohousing community shines with solar
November 27, 2007 Originating in Denmark, cohousing is a concept whereby residents actively participate in operation of their own neighborhoods and are committed to living as a community. In Colorado, one such neighborhood is installing solar systems into homes and a shop, supplying half of the community's electrical needs and reducing their carbon footprint. (read more...)
"Condo-cam" keeps an eye on your second home
October 26, 2007 Having a holiday home is a wonderful luxury, but the casual nature of visits to the property can leave it open to security risks such as break-ins and vandalism. By fully embracing the benefits of remote technologies now on the market, a new property development at Le Paradis Beach, Golf & Marina Resort in St. Lucia acts is helping residents keep a close eye on their second homes. (read more...)
Sky Garage: off-street parking for the upwardly mobile
October 23, 2007 Parking is the cause of much stress in any major city around the world and New York is definitely no exception. The tiny island of Manhattan has a land area of just 22.96 square miles (59.47 km²) but is home to more than 1.5 million people. With limited space and residents needing somewhere to park their cars, one property developer is planning to take to the sky to accommodate residents. (read more...)
More BoKlok homes for Gateshead
October 22, 2007 Following our report earlier this month that applications had opened for the innovative BoKlok housing project in the UK, approval has been granted for even more of the homes to be built at Gateshead in the UK. (read more...)
Applications open for first UK Boklok housing
October 8, 2007 IKEA has accepted applications from potential homeowners for the first release of Boklok houses in the UK. Gizmag has been following the progress of this innovative housing development that aims to create affordable and sustainable housing to offer space and flexibility to low income families. (read more...)
Hydrogen based power offers green alternative for homes
September 7, 2007 In a development that marks another step towards the vision of a sustainable, clean future for home power generation, UK company ITM Power has announced the upcoming release of a device which can generate hydrogen in the home to fuel central heating boilers and cookers while drastically cutting CO2 emissions. Set to go into production next year, the ITM electrolyser is designed to utilize off-peak or renewable electricity sources to create its own hydrogen fuel which can then be stored and used as a conventional gas to burn in central heating boilers as well as a fuel for cooking. (read more...)
Sustainable House Day 2007
August 22, 2007 Australia will again be celebrating sustainable housing at this year's Sustainable House Day to be held on Sunday 9 September 2007. The event, organized by the Australian and New Zealand Solar Energy Society, is a national open house day for sustainably designed houses and will take place only in Australia this year. (read more...)
IKEA housing development steams ahead in UK
August 15, 2007 Work has now begun on the first BoKlok "flat-pack housing" development at St James Village in Gateshead, UK. Previewed in Gizmag in May this year, the project aimed at delivering fast, affordable, energy efficient and stylish housing has just moved into its construction phase. (read more...)
Solar reflective film boosts home heating efficiency
August 13, 2007 A rural family home built recently in Massachusetts has used, among other eco-friendly technologies and systems, insulating glass units that will significantly cut the amount of energy used in the home. The Heat Mirror insulating glass unit from Southwall Technologies is a solar reflective film applied to a window’s interior that prevents the loss of radiant heat through the window at least three times more efficiently than double-pane glass. (read more...)
It's not much, but we call it home
June 14, 2007 It's just so hard to find the right home for your family of 6, 168 cars and 600 full-time personal staff. India's second-richest man, Mukesh Ambani, decided the only way was up. His 60-storey high vertical palace in Mumbai, to be completed in 2008, tells an epic tale of excess - and the locals aren't happy about this ostentatious display, some calling it the "dawn of a new age of vulgarity". (read more...)
